Lover I Don't Have to Love
by AkaAngelfangs
Summary: SSHG Hermione is facing her 7th year at Hogwarts and comes to find that a certain Hogwarts Potion's Master has been allowed back in. Tension rises swiftly in a battle overflowing with lust.
1. I Picked You Out

Disclaimer: Not mine - all that is recognizable is JKR's and anything that seems unlikely is mine. :D I only worship all that JK wrote.

Lover I Don't Have to Love  
Chapter One: I Picked You Out

Stumbling down the stairs of headquarters like she normally did this early in the morning without her coffee, Hermione was not in the best of moods nor was she paying much attention to the stairs in front of her - rather just going with the flow of her legs and the slow descent. Off in her own world she didn't really need to pay attention to whatever might be happening in the real world so she obviously did not see her former potions' professor coming up the stairs. Well, frankly she ran into him really. Tumbling down the stairs she almost went but lo and behold, her professor caught her. She blinked for a moment, still a little dazed and then pulled her vision up to Professor Snape's eyes.

"Well, hello sir." She said this rather airily, and Snape couldn't mask the look of confusion on his face quick enough. He abruptly put her upright and told her to "watch where you're going, as next time I won't be there to save you." Hermione rolled her eyes, clinging on to the banister as she watched him brush by her in an effort to get up the stairs. The man really angered her but at times Hermione just couldn't help admiring him, this being one of the times in which she didn't. Go figure. Hermione mumbled something inarticulate back at him over her shoulder and continued in her search for the rich flavor of coffee, cream, and sugar in a deep coffee mug.

Thankful that she actually made it down the stairs without running into anyone else (that being because no one really here were early risers), Hermione went to make herself some of the best coffee in the world and pour it steadily into her deep coffee mug. As Hermione proceeded to make her own coffee she found that someone already had. She huffed, looking through the glass container she held in her hands. Blast him. Snape was the only one up at this hour so it had to have been him... Hermione sighed and poured the coffee into her mug and sat down at the table. Dropping two sugar cubes in and a dash of cream, Hermione also noticed that someone had left these out for her and another spoon to stir her coffee with. "Oh such a gentleman, I tell you what." Hermione rolled her eyes for the second time that morning and stared at the spoon. "God damn him, really." Hermione was aware of the footsteps coming down the stairs and hoped that it was Lupin. Though, by taking a peek and seeing a mass of black robes, she knew it wasn't him. "Blast. Is nothing going right today?" She flung the offending spoon at the doorway and almost hit Snape as he walked into the kitchen with a briefcase and his cloak.

"Having an argument with an inanimate object, Miss Granger? Do I have to floo you over to St. Mungos before I even make my own way out the door?" He set his briefcase down in another chair along with his cloak and sat down across from her. He folded his arms across his chest and smirked.

"No, just venting my frustrations on it. It was a shame that it missed you as you walked into the kitchen... Then you would've been the one to go to St. Mungo's with a welt the size of a biscuit on your face, sir." She smirked right back at him, a little gleam in her eye as she sipped her morning coffee.

"My, my, it would do you no good for yourself if you were to try and maim me before school starts again. I could take points off you know."

"Ah, are we forgetting that you no longer hold your position as Potion's professor, sir?" This was going to get fierce.

"Quite the contrary, Miss Granger." He held up a finger as he reached into his briefcase to pull out a sheet of parchment. He slid it in front of Hermione, sneering with all his glory. "I've been allowed back in."

Hermione gazed down at the authentic and offending paper in shock. Damn him, damn him, damn him! That man was so infuriating, "But how, sir? Surely the Ministry and the Board would see that you are unfit to teach again..."

"Ah, but hassling students is anything but fit for the Board."

"But you've forgotten that you, sir, are guilty of murder." She looked at him with seething anger. He had killed Albus Dumbledore last year and was on the run until he came into the Ministry alone and confessed everything along with a confession from Dumbledore's portrait that it had all been planned. She still hated the man.

"It seems that you yourself, Miss Granger, have forgotten that all charges have been dropped and I have been proven innocent," he mimicked his hands into praying and Hermione swore she saw a halo slipping off those devil horns, "by Dumbledore himself."

"It doesn't matter to me, as I still see you as a manipulative bastard. You won't be gaining any of my trust back.."

"Miss Granger, don't flatter yourself. I don't need your trust. And go on believing I'm a manipulative bastard," He picked up his stuff, pulling his coat on, and walked over to her, kneeling beside her and whispering against her ear sending chills down her spine, "for by the end of the year," he paused his hand lightly touching her arm, emitting a spark from his fingertips to her shirt sleeve, "you will think nothing else of me..." He stayed there for a moment, kneeled beside her, his breath tickling her skin. Then he abruptly stood up and made an exit just as Professor Lupin walked in to have his morning oatmeal.

Even though it was comfortably warm, Hermione felt freezing...


	2. Can I Follow You?

Disclaimer: Alas, not mine. Belongs to the wonderful JKRowling (who I admire...a lot). Any thought (and plot!) bunnies do however belong to me and are currently having one wild party with those dust bunnies under my bed.

Lover I Don't Have to Love  
Chapter 2: Can I Follow You?

Hermione was left in a rather shaky state after that morning scene with Snape. What had he meant by she would think nothing else of him? What was he trying to tell her? Snape after all, was a master at hidden messages and meanings. Maybe he was trying to warn her or... who knows? It surely did bother Hermione into a right state, owing to locking herself in her room to ponder over that morning. She did have a brief conversation with Professor Lupin, but it wasn't much, and wasn't as quite interesting as the one before with her Professor-turned-murderer-and-declared-not-quilty. The whole situation ruffled her feathers. That Dumbledore and Snape would have such a deal between them, that the Order would gladly accept Snape back in, the Ministry thought not much of it, and the Daily Prophet going haywire with the story. Oh Hermione kept the Prophet article that made the front page with Snape's trial and all. From time to time she would scan it, become furious, and storm off to go read something better and more to her liking. But now, Hermione was deeply intrigued with the article and was now grasping it firmly in her hands, mere inches from her face. She studied that newspaper thoroughly and found it just said the same thing it always did:

"MINISTRY OF MAGIC DECLARES NOT GUILTY - August 18th, 1997. Early this morning, the Wizengamot shocked thousands of people by declaring Severus Snape, Potions Master not guilty on charges for the murder of Albus Dumbledore Order of Merlin First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, and former Cheif Warlock of the Wizengamot, and of infiltraiting an attack on the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The trial at the Ministry was rather shocking when members of the Aurory, Nymphadora Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt, came in with a large painting of Albus Dumbledore, which proceeded in telling the Wizengamot about Severus Snape and his so-called deal they had if things had, 'perhaps, gone wrong at Hogwarts.' Apon hearing this, the Wizengamot went into their backroom for a long discussion about the trial. Severus Snape in the end was found not guilty of both accounts and released from his brief stay at Azkaban prison, and would not sit for an interview or comment about the trial. (cont. on pg. 6 under 'Not Guilty')"

Hermione did not turn to page 6 to continue the article but instead threw the paper to the side, causing it's pages to scatter everywhere over the creaky hardwood floor. The photograph of Severus and Albus Dumbledore's painting peeked out from under the Quidditch scores of that weekend. She saw Severus' face before her and quickly turned away. The girl couldn't stand the look on the offending person's face, and scowled bitterly. Looking around the room at her number of books, school clothes and the like, she found herself in need of some air outside her room, but knowing that Snape would be back later this evening to brief the Order on Death Eater activity, she didn't want to chance it. Hermione sighed, sitting restlessly on the edge of her bed. This would not do. Sooner or later, one of her friends would want to know what was up and why she was locking herself in her room, and her own body was betraying her by her stomach growling, and a dull ache was forming in her stomach. "Blast." She rubbed her tummy for a little bit, hoping the ache would go away, but alas, this was not the case. Growling herself, Hermione stood and made her way out of the room and down the stairs towards the kitchen.

She heard voices coming from the kitchen, along with the tinkling of plates and silverware. Maybe Harry and Ron were making some kind of afternoon snack? One of the voices most certainly female though, and Hermione had the hopes that it was Tonks. Hermione pushed open the door to the kitchen and smiled into the face of Nymphadora Tonks. "Well, hello there."

"Hey, Hermione. Excuse me, I need to get something from down the hall..." Tonks made past her, though Hermione saw a look of unease on her face as she quickly glanced over her shoulder at the older female. Turning her head back to the main kitchen, she frowned. There was the back of her Potions Professor, hunched over, his palms pressed into the table. There were papers streamed across the table and Lupin was observing them closely while Molly Weasley bustled around them, busying herself with making sandwiches for everyone. Hermione snuck passed the two to ask Molly if she would make her a sandwich. Mrs. Weasley quickly made Hermione an egg salad sandwich on rye, and handed it to her with slices of orange on the plate along with a glass milk. "Thank you," Hermione whispered, and turned to walk out the door only to come face to face with Snape. "Excuse me, sir," she spoke softly, trying to make past him.

"Of course," Snape moved to the side, but while allowing her to pass, he quickly swiped a piece of orange from Hermione's plate and bit into it. "Thanks." He smirked down at her then turned back to the table, leaving Hermione with a disgruntled look on her face. She really wanted to shout, 'Hey, no problem. But next time slice up your own god damned fruit! Bastard..' Snape looked over his shoulder at her with an eyebrow raised and Lupin sniggered softly. Jesus, did she say that, or did she just think it? Was she actually talking? Did they hear her? By the looks of the two faces, it seems all of the above was true. Hermione blushed furiously and trotted out of the room with her sandwich, the kitchen door swinging behind her. Oh great, now things were going to get real embarassing.

AU: Kudo's to anyone who knows where I got the "Jesus, did I say that, or did I just think it? Was I talking? Did they hear me?" quote from. I shall bake them cookies. No, not the special kind.


End file.
